


Star Wars: Episode III- The Hours of Darkness

by Creed_Nation



Series: The Smith Saga [9]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games), Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creed_Nation/pseuds/Creed_Nation
Summary: After an encounter with the renegade Jedi Quinlon Vos, General John Smith has lost his memory of the past ten years, believing he has been abducted by aliens and his lover, Jedi Master Aayla Secura, is the alien queen. When a mission to capture Vos, lead by former Sith assassin Asajj Ventress, fails, the Republic send Smith's Third Army to capture the renegade and assassinate the Separatist leader, Count Dooku.
Relationships: Aayla Secura/Original Character(s)
Series: The Smith Saga [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1486988
Comments: 5
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains brief strong language.
> 
> You have been warned.

_"Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." -Sir Winston Churchill_

STAR WARS: EPISODE III

THE HOURS OF DARKNESS

For over two years, the Clone Wars

have raged across the galaxy. A

Separatist confederacy has been

formed against the Galactic Republic

under the direction of the evil COUNT

DOOKU and his mysterious master,

DARTH SIDIOUS. Countless lives have

been lost on thousands of worlds.

Dooku has turned his eyes toward another

of his lieutenants: QUINLON VOS, a Jedi spy

who has convinced the Jedi Council that he

has turned to the dark side of the Force.

Believing that he is dwelling in the shadows,

Vos uses his actions to serve the greater good,

though there maybe no time left to for the Jedi

to save him from himself...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a combination of Legends comic on Vos as a undercover spy and the canon novel Dark Disciple.
> 
> The quote by Churchill, I found while watching the 2017 film Darkest Hour, which is where I based the title of the story from.


	2. Chapter 2

On the planet Honoghr, General John Smith re-watched the transmission that he received from Jedi Knight Rii'ke En, who was sent to the planet to find chemical weapons located in an ancient temple. While listening to the transmission again, he put on his gloves and sunglasses. He wore a special set of sunglasses whenever he was on a planet which had a sun with UV light that caused more damage to his eyes than Earth's sun would have. On Honoghr, he needed to wear them all the time, even at night.

"...General Aayla Secura is with me, along with the 327th Star Corpse," Smith said as he spoke into his audio log. "This is a rescue mission and, if possible, capture the chemical weapons before they're used for mass genocide." He paused for a minute before he continued. "The 327th trust in Aayla gives me comfort. They've earned my trust in return. But I trust no one more than Aayla. I will die first before she will. That is the oath I made in secret when we became one. Love can be blind, but only among fools."

Smith grabbed his gear: a Magnum .207 Winter Wolf Mark II, fully upgraded to use blaster bolts instead of metal bullets; a NR-33 assault rifle, an updated version of the NR-25 assault rifle; a M74 shotgun, based on the design of the ancient M1887 model; and a L-SAT Mark II light machine gun.

He walked out of his tent and looked over the empty campsite.

"I thought I told them to wait for me," he muttered to himself. "They never listen."

He heard a blaster firing in the distance. He ran in the direction of the sound and came to a ledge measured at forty feet. He saw Aayla fighting what appeared to be a Sith warrior. He noticed Commander Bly, the clone leader of the 327th, knockout on the ground. The Sith blasted Aayla with a force push while rocks flew in her direction.

Smith turned and saw a statue measured at thirty-eight feet, over six times his height of six feet and two inches. He grabbed and lifted the statue over his head. He threw it down and jumped after it. The Sith at the bottom split the statue in half with his crimson lightsaber and was rammed by both of Smith's fists in the face.

Smith was about to punch the Sith again, but froze when he noticed the man's face. "Vos?" he asked.

Vos pushed Smith away with the force and launched a part of the statue at him. It hit him in the head and nearly crushed him against the ledge, but stopped and was pulled away. The last thing he remembered was Vos knelt near him and saying, "Forgive me, Smith, but there is more to this than you know or need to." He felt Vos's hand on his head and he past out.

***

Smith felt the world flash around him. His eyes opened and shut so fast he could only see blurred figures surrounding him. He felt pain surging through his body and prayed that he was at a medical facility getting proper treatment. He could hear a voice telling him to relax and that everything will be okay. He could hear another voice saying his condition was critical. Another voice shouted that they were losing him. Was he dying?

Silence. There was a sudden silence in his mind.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He noticed he was attached to a medical device and concluded he was in a hospital. He looked out the window and saw the night sky. The clearest night sky he had ever seen. He got up, making sure the tubes in his right arm didn't come out of him, and saw that he was in space, on a spaceship.

"I don't know this model," he said after observing what he could of the hull. "It's way too clean to be a Martian or Terran ship, though the design seems more Terran than Martian, but not quite."

***

"...But Quin jumped to hyperspace before our fighters could intercept," Aayla explained to the hologram of Master Yoda.

"Troubling, this is," he said. "Returned has Master Windu with more tales of Quinlon Vos. No doubt can there be. To the dark side, he is lost."

"Forgive me, Master Yoda, but I don't agree. He could have killed me and the others, but he didn't. There could be hope that he can return to the light."

"Even if this is true, at some point it will not be. Accept this, you must, the next time you and him meet."

"But Smith says that-"

"Listen to the wisdom of the Council, you must. Believe in what he calls truth, Smith will."

Aayla sighed. "As you wish, Master."

When the hologram turned off, Commander Bly, who stood nearby, asked, "What was it you were going to say? That Smith told you?"

"He told me that only death can determine the final fate of one's soul. While one lives, redemption is never impossible."

"I suppose there is truth in what he says. It does give you hope unlike Yoda's words do."

An alarm sounded and Bly opened the door to his cabin, seeing security troops run by.

"What is going on?" Bly asked when he stopped one of the troopers.

"The general's up and he's not himself," he said.

"What?" Aayla asked.

***

Aayla turned a corner and saw a trooper flying down a hallway. Five seconds later, that same trooper flew the opposite way, show that someone forced him that way. She made her way to the hallway and saw Smith standing in the center of the hallway, with unconscious troopers all over the ground. He saw her and charged, but she forced gripped him and lifted him to the ceiling.

"John, what are you doing?" Aayla asked.

"John Frederick William Benjamin Xavier Smith, admiral, number four-nine-nine-three-six-five-eight," Smith replied.

"Answer the general, Smith," Bly demanded.

"John Frederick William Benjamin Xavier Smith, admiral, number four-nine-nine-three-six-five-eight."

"Smith, what is wrong with you and why are you saying that?"

Smith repeated the words again and again.

"He's broken."

"Yes, he is," Aayla said.

"What?"

"From what I have learned, soldier on Earth are required to give name, rank, and serial number whenever they have been captured by the enemy."

"His rank? He said that he was an admiral."

"Whatever Vos did to him, he has lost some part of his memory. He thinks he an admiral still." Aayla stepped closer and asked, "What year is it?"

Smith stopped speaking and stared in confusion at Aayla. "The year is 2224," he said.

"What if I told you that it was actually 2234?"

Smith scoffed. "No way. Unless..." he paused and thought for a moment. "...you abducted me."

"What?"

"You are the alien queen and ordered the abduction of my people. What have you done with the others? Drink their blood, like the Martians do?"

Bly made a face of disgust. "That is barbaric!"

Aayla touched Smith's forehead and said, "Sleep."

Smith's eyes shut and his arms dropped down.

Aayla gently pulled him down with the force and guided him back to the medical center.

"Find Dr. Mason," Aayla told Bly. "He needs to explain to Smith where he is."

"Yes, Ma'am," Bly answered and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The L-SAT is a weapon that can be found in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.


	3. Chapter 3

On the planet Seronno, things weren't looking so up for the former Sith assassin Asajj Ventress and her bounty hunter crew. They were trying to rescue Vos from Count Dooku's fortress, though they failed to know every little detail. Despite being Dooku's apprentice before, Ventress learned that much had changed to the fortress since she was thrown out when Dooku left her for died.

When Vos appeared and sent them running from the planet, Ventress met with Obi-wan Kenobi at a local canteen on Corusant, where she relaid the news.

"He is not coming back," she said. "He belongs to Dooku now."

Kenobi was shocked by this revelation. Not only did it prove the rumors true or that the encounter with Aayla on Honoghr have merit, but his friend from his youth was gone and fallen to the darkness.

For a while there, both Kenobi and Ventress sat in silence, not certain what to do next or what was to happen.

***

Kevin Mason, Smith's personal physician, was showing Smith, now strapped to the medical bed, everything he had been through in the past ten years as Aayla watched from the other room through the window that Smith couldn't see through. Despite that, Smith seemed to eye to and fro at the window, like he knew he was being watched or that she was there.

"So, what has become of Europa since the Insurgents were defeated?" Smith asked.

"It was abandoned," Mason said. "There was no more use for it. We went to the planet the Republic gave us and it has been orbiting Naboo undisturbed since."

Smith sighed as he leaned back in the bed. "Do they know I could easily brake out of these restraints?"

"They do."

"Than why even try?"

"Because General Secura trust that you won't."

"Yeah? Well, why she, after what I did to her security team? She is either too trustworthy or a dumb bitch for thinking it."

Aayla's jaw nearly dropped when the words finished leaving Smith's mouth. Clearly, he wasn't himself.

"General," Bly said.

"What is it?" Aayla asked.

"The enemy has found us."

***

The Invisible Hand, General Grievous' flagship, came into view, along with three other Separatist ships.

"They are contacting us," said a lieutenant on the bridge of Aayla's ship.

"Open a link," Bly ordered.

The holographic form of Grievous appeared. "I normally don't open the comms when I face the enemy, but I like to see your faces before I kill you all." He looked about. "Where is Smith? Late for his funeral, eh?"

"General Smith is not capable of coming here," Aayla said. "He is recovering from a previous battle."

"Oh, shame. I hoped to see if he grew any since our last encounter."

"Nah, still six-four, metal monster."

All eyes turned and saw Smith, still in his medical gown with the restraints broken around his wrists and wearing his military jacket over the gown.

"Ah, he made it, after all"

"Yeah, John Smith is never late for his funeral. Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?"

"Care to refresh my memory?"

"I am General Grievous and-"

"Okay, Grievous," Smith interrupted. "Mr. Dim Nit Wit, do yourself a favor: go and look at your DAMN FACE IN A FUCKING MIRROR!"

Everyone backed away from Smith, even Grievous backed a little despite being on the other ship.

Smith continued. "Now, I don't know what beef-shit you have with the Republic nor do I give a shit, but what I do know is that the moon I arrived here on is in their galactic space area. So, you better back your ass off before I rain down a damned fire-storm upon you. You're going to need to call the Republic to see if they get a damned binding resolution to keep me from destroying your ass. I'm talking scorch Earth policy, metal son of a bitch. I will murder you. I WILL FUCKING BUTCHER YOUR ASS!"

Aayla was shocked by this. She never heard any of that kind of Terran profanity come out of Smith's mouth before. Was this what he was like before he came here? She didn't have long to think as Smith smashed the comms.

"Get me the damned profile on this damn metal monster," Smith said.

No one moved.

"Did I stutter? Move your asses, NOW!"

Everyone moved, except Aayla and Bly, still coming to terms that what happened had happened.

"I think I like him more now," Bly said, much to Aayla's dismay.

Aayla confronted Smith and said, "John, what is wrong with you? You can't make empty threats toward-"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Royal, but do we know each other?" Smith asked. "Because I have no memory of you, at all."

"I'm not a queen or royalty, as you think. I'm a Jedi Knight."

"No idea what that is. Also, I don't make empty threats. Besides, doc told me this ship is under my command, so I'm taking command of my ship and there ain't nothing you nor your Republic can do about."

"John, you can't-"

"Unless I give you permission to call me John, you address me as 'general', as that seems to be my current rank now, or 'sir'. Do I make myself clear, Ms-"

"Aayla Secura."

"Odd name, but who am I to judge? Ms. Secura, same question."

Aayla sighed. "Yes, sir."

"That'll do. Now, let's get to work."

"General," an officer said.

"Yes?" Smith and Aayla said simultaneously.

"We receiving a transmission from Corusant."

"And what is that?" Smith asked.

"The capital of the Republic," Aayla said.

"Okay. Um, send it through to my cabin, if I have one."

"I show you where it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scene at the end was inspired by Tom Cruise's outburst to the Flaming Dragon drug cartel in Tropic Thunder, or at least the PG-13 version of it.


	4. Chapter 4

As Aayla showed the way to his cabin, Smith noticed what appeared to be the figure of a boy. He had brown hair and skin that had a tan color to it. He appeared to be around his mid-teens and there was what appeared to be a blue aurora all around him.

"Who's kid is that?" Smith asked.

"What kid?" Aayla asked.

"The kid right-" he stopped as he noticed the boy was gone. "-there."

"I don't see anyone over there."

"Neither do I. I must be seeing things."

***

"You can't be serious!" Aayla exclaimed. "You plan to put all faith in a former assassin to end the war?"

"With Ventress's Intel, we have the opportunity to capture Dooku and Vos," Kenobi said through the hologram.

"I want to save Vos as much as anyone, but with the assassin?"

"If you have a better idea, I'm waiting to hear it."

Aayla sighed. "Alright, we'll do it."

With that, the connection was broken. Aayla turned and noticed Smith on his bed, eyes closed. She walked slowly toward him.

"If you have any concerns about my welfare, your worry is clearly misplaced," he said.

"Did you even listen to any of that?"

"Yeah, they need us for a mission. So, let's meet up with the others who will join us and kill a damn bastard or two."

The ship shocked.

"Oh, right. I forget: Mr. Dim Nit Wit. Let's get rid of the metal bastard first."

***

Smith and Aayla watched as their ship, the Constitution, named in honor of the American ship of the War of 1812, with the destroyer class ships, Freedom and Liberty, fired on the Invisible Hand. They damaged the ship, leaving it to drift in space.

As they escaped into light speed, Smith, now clothed in his military uniform, looked about the Republic class ship he was in command of. He noticed the transport and combat ships in the main hanger. He noticed the men on the ship seemed to share the same facial appearance, though with features to separate them from each other, whether it be hair styles or facial tattoos.

He noticed a massive door in the far end of the hanger. He realized that it was opened by facial scanner. He placed his face in the device, saw it scan his face, and saw the door open. Inside was a craft that appeared more Terran in design than the others. It seemed to be modeled after a F-22, with three Gatling guns, one on the nose of the craft and the other two on the wings. The inside he could tell was designed like the F-98, the aircraft he had flown in the war against the Martian when they invaded Earth.

"I guess I had this design for a good reason," Smith said. "To always remind me of my failure to protect her." A tear formed from his eye and he washed it away before it went down his cheek. "Forgive me, Caroline. I wasn't strong enough."

"You learned from your past failures," a voice said. "You now need to get back what was taken from you."

Smith looked up and saw the boy he saw earlier.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is James," the boy said. "That's all you need to know right now."

"Why are you here?"

"You need Vos. He is the key to your memory lost."

"Dead or alive?"

"Alive. If he dies, you will lose ten years worth of memory. You will never remember the best and worst of your life."

"I think I prefer not remembering the worst."

"Nor will you remember the love you and Aayla share among yourselves."

"Me and Secura? A couple?" he chuckled. "Me and an alien in love? In your dreams."

"Listen to your audio logs. They reveal all that you have said about your love."

"Logs? I have never kept logs before."

"They are required by the Republic army guidelines."

Smith pondered this for a moment. If the logs exist, they would probably be in his cabin. He looked and saw the boy was gone.

"James?"

No response.

"If those logs do exist, than maybe it will prove that I'm not seeing things after all."


	5. Chapter 5

Over the planet Christophsis, the whole of the 333rd Legion, or known better as the Third Army by Smith in honor of the Allied army under the command of WWII general, George S. Patton, arrived along with the 212th and the 501st Legions. Aayla convened with Kenobi, Skywalker, and Ventress to plan the attack.

"Where is Smith?" Skywalker asked. "Should he be hearing this, too?"

"I don't know where he has been since we escaped from Grievous," Aayla said.

"I'm sure he has come up of a plan of his own," Ventress said.

"And you know this how?"

"I have faced Smith plenty of times to know he has a plan in his own head. It other people who don't know that he does."

"Can we please focus on the task at hand?" Kenobi asked.

"Alright," Aayla said. "So, what do we do?"

"This," Bly said as he came on the bridge. He came to a panel, turned two keys, and pressed two red buttons.

Fifty Tomahawk missiles fired from the sides of the Constitution and wiped out the majority of Confederacy fleet over the planet.

"General," Bly said through his comm. "You can make your run."

From the main hanger, forty fighter crafts flew out with Smith at the head in his fighter, as the enemy sent their fighters toward them.

"Let me fire at them first," Smith said. "Any of them that past me, take them out."

"Yes, sir," the captain pilot said.

Smith fired his Gatling guns as he spins his fighter in circles. When any fighters past by Smith, the other fighters fired and destroyed them. They approached the last Confederacy ship and destroyed it.

"Look there," a voice said. Smith looked behind him and saw James sat behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Smith asked. "On second thought, how are you coming and going like that?" He snapped his fingers as he finished.

"That isn't important. Look! There are some fighters heading to the surface."

"Bly, mobilize the armies and get done there, ASAP."

"Copy that," Bly said.

Smith followed the enemy down to the planet and lead his pilots into a dog fight through the ruins of the cities on Christophsis.

"Hold on!" James exclaimed.

"Will you please shut-"

Smith's fighter exploded, sending the cockpit flying to the ground and smashing hard. Smith got out, pulled out the Gatling gun in the nose, and fired on the droids that began to surround him. One droid manage to hit him in the left shoulder and right hip. He shrugged it off, as he struggled to stand his ground and hold the gun.

"COME ON, TRY AND KILL ME! I'LL KEEP FIGHTING UNTIL I'VE DROPPED DEAD!"

The area around him exploded and the droids were destroyed, as Republic gunships flew over. Smith sighed as he sat down and tend to his wounds.

The Jedi approached him and Aayla said, "You couldn't have waited until we had a plan made out?"

"You planning is slow. I take the ideas of soldiers of the past, like George Patton, George Washington, both Andrew and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, and, for this battle, Ulysses Simpson Grant."

"Still-"

"We made it to the surface. That's all that is important right now. Also, we need to talk. Alone." Smith looked to Kenobi and Skywalker. "Later, of course. Where is Ventress?"

"She split off from the main army as we flew over the city court," Kenobi said.

"Why?"

"We don't know yet," Skywalker said. "But she maybe heading to where Dooku and Vos could be."

"We should investigate the city court and see if we can figure out where she went."

"My thoughts, exactly," Kenobi said in agreement.

As the Jedi walk away, Smith looked back at the cockpit and didn't see James there or anywhere around the area.

"I need help," he said as he scratched his head. "Big time."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been awhile since I did a chapter for this story. Patience is a virtue and an important one when you read these stories.  
> Just a heads up, I'll be taking a break from any Star Wars related stories so I can do other stories I have been wanting to work on. I'll first finish this story, then the other stories after. Afterwards, I'll continue the Saga.

After the investigation in the city court turned empty handed, Smith and Aayla found some time alone as the army moved out over the city looking for Dooku and Vos.

"I can tell that this is my voice," Smith said as he turned off one of the logs of his journal. "But I sound like a different man."

"I could say the same about how you've been reacting," Aayla said.

"Look, if I do manage to regain what was taken, you'll have to deal with me until that happens."

"You're still the man I know, just lost in a time already past."

"Tell me, are you sure you never saw that kid I saw on the ship?"

"No. Why?"

"I don't recognize him, but my gut told me he was familiar. I can't put my finger on it. The blue aurora is even more mysterious."

"Blue aurora?"

"The outline of his shape was in an aurora that shone blue. Also, his name is even stranger."

"What about his name?"

"He told me his name is James. I've known many people with that name, but I mainly know it as the name of my brother."

"Wait, your brothers' names are Joseph and Joshua, right?"

"The ones that are hopefully still alive, yes. But I had an older brother who was three years older than me. His name was James Christopher Michael Wallace Arlington Smith. He died a few months before I was born. I never got to know him."

"Could the James you've been seeing be your brother?"

"No, he isn't. He doesn't look like him. In fact, he looked more like-"

Bly entered and said, "We found them."

***

The battle was underway. The Separatist army fired on the Third Army as they defended the south corner of the city.

"Alright, listen up and good, boys," Smith addressed the Third Army. "We are taking this city and we ain't letting a couple of machines to stop us. We will move forward, not back. We will charge and make them retreat, not them to us. Now, let's take on that damn army and take back this city."

With Smith at the head, the Third Army charged at the enemy and scared the whole Separatist army. Within the next hour, the Separatist army retreated, leaving small remnants behind.

As the Third Army did a sweep of the area, a Separatist tank blasted through a building and aimed at Smith. Believing he was dead, Smith shield his eyes. Ten seconds later, he opened his eyes and saw the tank overturned. He turned and saw Aayla with her lightsaber in her hand.

"Your welcome," she said.

As she walked past him, Smith looked and thought to himself, _Damn, that is one sexy ass._

"I can feel you eying me, you know," Aayla said without looking back.

"And I can tell that she is smiling on the inside," James said.

"Are you even old enough to understand how adults think?" Smith asked.

"I'm one with the Force already. You'd be surprised by everything I know."

"Okay, please go way now."

"Way ahead of you."

Smith walked on as he and the Third Army continue their siege of the south corner of the city. He stopped and said, "Wait, James?" But he was gone already. "Dang it."


	7. Chapter 7

Later that night, the Third Army was put in another standstill just two kilometers from the main headquarters of the Confederacy army on Christophsis. Smith, bored by the fact of a standstill, decided to change the playing board.

"Bly, get the speeders out," Smith said. "We're ending this now."

"Yes, sir," Bly replied.

***

"We need to brake this standstill before Dooku can make his escape," Skywalker said.

"I sense that Vos is nearby," Kenobi said. "Ventress, too."

"So, what is the plan?" Aayla asked.

"Um, I think Smith is doing it," Skywalker said as he pointed toward the battlefield.

Aayla saw a platoon of speeder bikes zoom toward the enemy. "I need to stop jinxing myself."

"We all need to," Kenobi said.

***

Smith, along with his platoon, zoomed in and engaged the enemy. He noticed a man in black with a crimson lightsaber on the battlefield and charged at him. He jumped off his speeder and watched as the man in black cut the speeder in half.

"I thought blocking your memory was a smart move," said the man in black. "I guess I was wrong."

"So, you're the one called Vos?" Smith asked. "You have something that belongs to me."

"I did it for a reason. I was undercover and didn't want to blow my cover."

"Judging by the tone of your voice, your cover has been blown already."

"Yes, but I'm a little overjoyed by everything that Dooku had taught me."

"Just give me back my memory and maybe I'll be at peace from James."

"Who is James?"

"A mystery kid that I've been seeing since I lost my memory."

Vos thought for a moment, stepped forward, and said, "Maybe... just maybe, this will help you find answers." He put his right pointing finger on Smith's forehead.

***

Smith woke up and found in the ruins of Berlin, inside the building that Carol was killed by the Martians in a raid.

"Strange being back here, isn't it?" James said.

"Who are you? I need to know. What is your real name?"

"You never gave me a real name."

"I don't understand."

"I'm the son you didn't have because of what happened to mom."

Smith froze. "I knew she was pregnant, but we didn't know if we were going to have a son or daughter."

"I became one with the force when she died and I chose to name myself after the brother you never knew: James Christopher Michael Wallace Arlington Smith. I hope you don't mind."

Smith was on the verge of tears. "It should of been me, not her. Not you. You deserved to have lived, to grow."

"Destiny had other plans. And now, it's time to go back and finish your fight."

"I want to know who... who you..."

"It's okay. We'll meet again. When you are at your lowest, I come back and offer the help you need."

Smith sighed in relief.

***

Smith woke and was back on Christophsis. He stared at Vos and said, "It's good to be back. Complete, this time."

"Glad to see you again, too," Vos said.

Smith's eyes widen. "Oh, shit, I called Aayla a bitch and said I'd butcher Grievous's ass. Speaking of which, we still don't know what happened to Ventress."

"She came to me and help me take on Dooku, but he escaped after he killed her."

"Ventress is dead?"

"She sacrificed herself to protect me from Dooku's lightning strike."

"Damn, that is terrible."

***

As the Third Army headed to it's next destination, Smith was in his quarters alone and was in deep thought.

The door shimmed and Smith said, "Come in."

The door opened and Aayla entered. "We'll be at Felucia within two hours, General."

"Okay and you can call me John again."

"Is something the matter, John?"

"I'm sorry about my behavior. I know I was not myself, but that's no excuse for what I did, on the ship, on Christophsis, or to you."

"I know and I forgive you."

He softly chuckled and said, "I love you, Aayla. Come what may."

"I love you, too."

They kissed and held each other in their arms.

***

James was outside the ship, watching all that Aayla and Smith did.

"Their love is strong," he said.

"Indeed," said the ghost of Qui-gon Jinn, who stood next to James. "But unlike all things, their love will endure in life and death."

"The return of the Sith is nearby, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What will my father find on Felucia?"

"His destiny."

"The Force?"

"No, not yet. But Felucia will set him on the beginning of that path. The Force is with him, like it is with us. He needs to only hear and listen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that, this story is completed. Now, time to take a break from Star Wars for a time and do something else. But I'll be back to this as soon as I can.


End file.
